updated 05:15 pm EDT, Tue May 19, 2009

eMachines EL1300 Desktops

eMachines this afternoon hoped to spark new life in its desktops with both a cosmetic and performance upgrade to its most economic AMD-based models. The EL1300 series switches from the typical black and silver of most PC builders (including eMachines itself) to a glossy white eMachines considers friendlier. They continue to use the small form factor design that most eMachines systems now use without affecting their prices.

Two models, the 01w and 02w, break ground for the new range: the 01w at $298 is the least expensive but is planned for buyers who already have display, with the absence of an LCD letting eMachines fit a low-power 1.6GHz Athlon X2, 2GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, a DVD burner and Vista Home Basic. The 02w adds a 20-inch LCD but halves the RAM to 1GB to keep the price down to $398.

Both computers are available today and are accompanied by the E182H, a 16:9 ratio, 18.5-inch display with a 1366x768 resolution. It uses DVI only for input but has a 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and its own stereo speakers. eMachines ships the E182H for $119.